West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-06-09

TIC apology into her face.
Grace's first impulse was TO ride away
IN silence, as though unnoting, but some
how the look of those deep-blue eyes ar
rested and held her, and pulling up
sharply, she said, with an unmistakable
proprietorial accent
chow came you here1n
The man bent his bare head and an
swered literally:
Through the gate on the turnpike.
1t was unlocked, and it looked so cool
and pleasant down here, and was so
tired and dusty, / was tempted into tres
passing. Pardon it, please;~ and let me
stay until the sun gets past noon, and
VIII 60 away without. .harming anything.
The road is bhstering now. ~
II know it, " said Miss Minton, curtly,
"but that is no reason for you to stay
here hungry. Come on with me TO the
house and rest there. Have you had
breakfasts"
lie shook his head, with faint smile.
and she continued, severely:
That is very wrong. You should
have had it three hours ago. You insult
the country you are passing through
when you thus slight our hospitality"
lie looked up straight into her eyes
and answered:
Dig l cannot, for no man will hire
me; and to beg am ashamed. Can you
give me worki'
What can you dol"
Anything indiffcrently, nothing well. 4"
''Can you handle horSesl"
"a little" with the shadow Of smile
behind his long, fair mustache.
EsCan Won ride colts2O
81 have pdone it; think 1 might
again"
VERY well, will get my father to
take you for week on trial; if you suit,
he will keep you all summer, though we
have never hired a white hand before"
"What shall have to dol"
"Anything you are told to; chiefly
break horses to the saddle Uncle Ned,
our head groom, is too rheumatic for it
this spring, and his boys are too impsh
to be trusted. You will work under
himP'
Certainly, if can thereby earn my
"of that there is no doubt. My father
will pay you well, if only you are com
petent."
eyes, if only can be competent; and
as you are 50 kind, let me tell you my
name-Kcnncth West, once an English
man, nova citizen of the worldw
Three months later this was the sum
total OF what Maplcwood and vicinage
knew of Kenneth Vests past. OF his
present, it knew very well that the Min.
tons had in him treasure; as for
breaking, training and conditioning
horses, his equal was not in all the
countryside. Then, he gave himself no
airs, was thoroughly and intensely "bid-
able" and at hard manual labor, though
evidently unframed, made muscle an
swer in place of skill. 1t soon came not
be required of him. Uncle Ned, the
coal-black stable boss, after watching
him master and control a powerful young
stallion, declared to his old master,
"'Twas er shame ter put plow er hoe
handles in dat mans hans; nc ought
ter be holdn' dc feathers from mornin'
t'well night, and always thereafter ad.
dressed his subordinate, as "Marse
Wcst.' And Squire Minton himself soon
found that his new cmPloyc had such
culture and intelligence as made him not
merely a welcome companion in his leis-
urc hours, but also doubly valuable in his
own sphere.
And Grace, too, soon developed
cordial liking for the young man, who,
she discovered, was two years her junior,
and for whom she delighted to do, unob-
trisivcly, small womanly kindncsses, for
which nc showed liyclicst gratitude,
though he never presumed on them in
tho Gaintcst degree. In fact, it angered
her somewhat that he never seemed to
forget his place as hircling and stranger
within the gates, though but two people
ever tried TO make him conscious of it.
namely, Mr.. Hector Highland, the most
irritaut OF the brothers-in-law, and his
cousin, Jack Bell, who for six months or
more had laid hot siege 20 Miss Minton
aud her money. In their eyes, from the
first, the young Saxon was stumbling
block and rock Of oTensc and in their
weekly visits-they wcro unmerciful
enough TO como scpamtely--lct slip no
opportunityto TO sting or disparage Miss
Minton's prOtcgc, quite regardless Of tho
fact that nothing so inCliucs q woman to
q handsome yOungstcr as perpetual atti-
tudc Of defense. Had they dared they
would have tried 10 bully Grace out
right into having him scut adrift, but
that young lady had under all her
softncss fibre of spring steel resistance
that upon occasion developed surprising
ly, so they were fain to content them
selves with musquito tactics a great
deal Of annoying buzz preliminary to
more annoying bite
10 was under the hunters moon shin
ing round and full through the soft Oct0-
Der mir, that Gmce at last heard the story
OF her foundling. Though unusual. it
was not startling, with only the pathos
Of dead hope, and the tragedy or cru he'd
ambition IIc was, in full, Kenneth
Wcstmoreland, son Of q generation OF
younger sons, who at twenty five years
before had come out TO The Rugby Col.
ony fun OF youths high purpose. and
after the stranding OF that venture had
drIited aimlesslY ont away into whatcyer
current Of the moment bore him on. al.
ways toill-fortune ITcgularly educated.
and with but dcsultory training in any
thing save riding, shooting and athletic.
he had sought work and found none, tiI
money, hope and courage were utterly
gone, and on the May morning when
Grace encountered him hc had made
himself ready 90 Die down and starvc
quietly. have eaten nothing since the
morning before when his last rarmcut
had been barteed bread
10 did not matter much. he thouuht.
ho was alone in the world that bad cvi
fI4nfItr nr. s.H.rU f.r H.f-.